Why These Doctors Donate

For all of us at Phoenix Children’s, supporting children’s health is more than a job—it’s a lifestyle. And for some of our physician leaders, that means taking their commitment to kids to a whole new level. These doctors not only have dedicated their careers to building best-in-class programs from the inside, but they also have joined our incredible community of donors to support these programs through philanthropy.

The music man: Dr. Gregory White

Division Chief, Orthopedics

A Phoenix native, Dr. Greg White has seen Phoenix Children’s grow from a few floors in Good Samaritan Hospital to the world-class organization that it is today. And in his time as division chief of the Herbert J. Louis Center for Pediatric Orthopedics, he and his team have transformed the department into a nationally recognized center of excellence.

But White hasn’t stopped there. He has spent the past 15 years bringing his passion for music into his professional life. White’s band of physicians, Central Line, has played local gigs, headlined charity events and even participated in a battle of the bands against a group of lawyers—all to raise funds for Phoenix Children’s programs, wherever they are most needed. As a division chief, he knows that even a few thousand dollars in donated ticket sales can make a real difference. “It has been so rewarding to use my hobby for the good of the people in this community,” he says.

Searching for cancer answers: Dr. Roberta Adams

Division Chief, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders

Dr. Roberta Adams knows all too well how vital philanthropy is to cancer research. She manages one of the country’s largest cohorts of leukemia patients receiving CAR-T therapy—a cutting-edge form of immunotherapy that genetically alters a patient’s own cells to recognize, target and destroy only the cancerous cells, leaving the healthy cells intact. Phoenix Children’s is now treating 10 percent of all patients receiving the innovative new therapy in the U.S. Her goal: to make sure that every child in Arizona has access to groundbreaking medical treatments like CAR-T at their doorstep. 

But leading the study isn’t enough for Adams—she also supports Phoenix Children’s cancer research philanthropically. “Support is manifested in so many ways. It manifests as mentoring people. It manifests as teaching. It manifests as volunteering. And it manifests as financial support that can help this organization continue to grow.”

Funding the future: Dr. Daniel Velez

Division Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery

For Dr. Daniel Velez, the division chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery in Phoenix Children’s nationally recognized Heart Center, his work is simple: “I fix broken baby hearts,” he says. “I get to give families more time together. It’s pretty darn cool.”

But as if that wasn’t enough, Velez has also dedicated himself to raising additional resources for his team. Early in his career, he came to realize how vital philanthropy is to any hospital’s ability to provide the best possible care to its patients. He resolved that when he had the financial means, he would do his part.

In 2020, Velez established the Cardiothoracic Surgery Fund to give surgeons from his division access to the resources they need to pursue training and learning opportunities across the country and bring cutting-edge techniques into their practices at Phoenix Children’s. “I want to support them to do the best possible job that they can for our kids,” he said.